HANSARD: QP- Addresing refugee application backlog
House of Commons Hansard #236 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Oral Questions
October 20th, 2023 / 11:25 a.m
Oral Questions
October 20th, 2023 / 11:25 a.m
Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC
NDP
Mr. Speaker, the auditor issued a damning report about processing delays in immigration. The most vulnerable are made to wait the longest due to Liberal mismanagement. Offices in sub-Saharan Africa are chronically underfunded, and they have the highest volume. Applications are untouched for up to 20 months. The average wait time for refugees is now three years. People who are being persecuted do not have three years to wait.
Will the minister take immediate action to process the unacceptable backlogs for refugees?
Kevin Lamoureux Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the auditor issued a damning report about processing delays in immigration. The most vulnerable are made to wait the longest due to Liberal mismanagement. Offices in sub-Saharan Africa are chronically underfunded, and they have the highest volume. Applications are untouched for up to 20 months. The average wait time for refugees is now three years. People who are being persecuted do not have three years to wait.
Will the minister take immediate action to process the unacceptable backlogs for refugees?
Kevin Lamoureux Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Liberal
Mr. Speaker, this is of great concern. We all want to see immigration processes speed up. Over the last number of years, we have seen processing times improve in many different areas. Whether it is dealing with the sponsoring of parents, for example, or the sponsoring of spouses, we have seen dramatic increases.
There are areas that we do need to improve upon, and I can assure the member that we are, in fact, making progress in all different areas as much as possible
Mr. Speaker, this is of great concern. We all want to see immigration processes speed up. Over the last number of years, we have seen processing times improve in many different areas. Whether it is dealing with the sponsoring of parents, for example, or the sponsoring of spouses, we have seen dramatic increases.
There are areas that we do need to improve upon, and I can assure the member that we are, in fact, making progress in all different areas as much as possible
